I chose to write about Ellen Moers article Female Gothic: The Monster’s Mother. The article was written in 1976, and it covers a vast amount of information. The article starts out by giving a brief history of gothic writing. The article also discussed different female authors that contributed to stories with gothic themes, and how most of the stories had young heroines and villains that typically were the father-like figure. After this, Moers began giving the history of Mary Shelley’s family, life, her writing. Near the end of the article, Moers begins to link how Frankenstein was written based off of Shelly’s life and emotions, especially her feelings of losing the children she carried and never actually being a mother.
When reading Frankenstein, I didn’t know that much about Mary Shelley, or what her life was like. This article though, not only gave me a better understanding of gothic writing, but it also helped me better understand Shelley. I can’t imagine how horrible it would feel to carry child after child and to lose each one. I can understand Moers thought that Shelley’s life could influence her writing of Frankenstein. Her pain could have easily turned to anger, which would explain how the creature in her story starts out innocent and how it slowly learns to hate, to feel pain, and wish for revenge.
This website also has more background information on gothic writing that, I think, helps make it easier to understand what constitutes gothic writing.
Image source: http://blurredhistory.blogspot.com/2009/10/location-location-location.html
I liked this article by Moers also. I didn't write my blog about it cause that's what my essay will be about. But, it was interesting reading about gothic lit. and female writers. I knew very little about Shelley and this article shed some light on her life and knowing her story put things in perspective in regard to Frankenstein.
ReplyDeleteI also picked this article to write about, and I do agree with you. That it was very helpful to find out some background information about Mary Shelley. The information that Ellen Moers gave us led me into the connection of loss to the creation of a monster, possibly a monster that Shelley felt she had created in her life with the turmoil that she was living through. Your summary was also very well written, you brought up a lot of points that I did not bring up in my summary.
ReplyDeleteI liked this article by Moers also. It was interesting reading about gothic lit and female writers. There are more female writers out there then men which I find nice. I haven't really decided which one I am going to write a paper on because I also didn't know much about shelley.
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ReplyDeleteI unfortionatly I did not read this article. However, after reading your summary on it, i wish i had! You did a really good job! Reading your summary makes me want to read the article for myself. You really captured the idea of what a summary is supposed to look like. Again, very good job!
I too, did not know anything about Mary Shelley prior to reading this article. I felt that it added some needed information to understand what may have led Mary Shelley to write this story. I think that it would be extremely difficult to understand and deal with losing children. I can see how the story may relate with her personal experiences.
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